Confusing setup. Web interface is plain and initially uncategorized. Fails to work on some theoretically compatible devices. No remote access options.

Bottom Line

Universal Media Server gives you plenty of free features for your home network streaming needs, if you can get it to work.

Using a home media server to stream videos, music, and photos throughout devices on your home network is a wonderful, convenient thing. But some software only gives you a taste of sweet streaming action before charging for the best features. Universal Media Server isn't the easiest product for setting up your own home media server, but it will give you plenty of functionality without asking for a dime.

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Why Use a Media Server?Universal Media Server, like most media servers, is based on pre-existing technology, in this case the PS3 Media Server. By communicating with Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) devices, media servers can stream content on a range of devices including, say, laptops, game consoles, phones, and tablets connected to the same shared wired or wireless network. You can even put all of your content on a network-attached storage (NAS) device and use that as your server if you don't want to burden your computer.

There are already plenty of ways to share media across your phone, television, and computer thanks to products like Google Chromecast and services like Dropbox. But a home media server isn't a third-party cloud; it gives you complete control over your content. Whether you want to streamline your entertainment, reorganize your business media, or house a semi-legal collection of ripped movies, a home media server can really come in handy.

InstallationInstalling and setting up Universal Media Server (UMS) is slightly less painful than getting fellow open source media server Serviio to work. But it's not nearly as intuitive and friendly to casual users as our top pick, Plex. After downloading UMS to your PC, Mac, or Linux machine, you then start creating your server via the main panel. You'll have to access this panel from your desktop toolbar since the program initially runs in the background.

UMS automatically detects compatible media renderers on the network, from Windows Media Player to Google Chrome, to an Android phone, and displays IP addresses along with big, shiny graphics in the Status tab. General Configuration is where you'll adjust networking settings like which renderers to enable and make defaults, which router to stay bound to, and which open port on your firewall to go through. It can get confusing, but just like with Serviio, you'll have to play around with these settings to get UMS to show up on your devices. Even then, I still had trouble getting my Mad Max-themed server to run on an Xbox One despite the fact the console is listed as compatible. Maybe the Xbox carried a grudge against a program based off of its gaming rival, as UMS ran just fine on a PlayStation 3 in my testing.

Moving down the tabs, Navigations/Share Settings is where you tell UMS which folders to make available on the server. When it first launches, the program scans everything on your system. You'll want to change this as soon as possible or your new server will get cluttered with junk and the file structure will be messy. You'll need to keep your media nice and manageable with different folders for music, movies, and photos.

Once you're finished, restart the server for your changes to take effect. The handy Log tab tracks all changes in chronological order, so if something goes wrong you can retrace your steps to find a possible solution, if you can parse the technical language. If you're feeling adventurous you can also hop over to the Transcoding Settings tab to adjust video quality and audio preferences, but the automatic settings should be just fine for all but the most discerning users.

I was disappointed to find that Universal Media Server doesn't seem to offer remote access options like the ability for server owners to access their content outside the home. But while Plex's take on that feature is convenient for free and paid users alike, I don't have confidence that UMS's version of remote access would be anything but confusing and complicated, like Serviio's. So far only the homebrew community has brought this kind of functionality to UMS by tinkering with the source code, and it's far from reliable.

Web InterfaceOnce you've perfected your server, you can then start enjoying your media by launching the UMS Web interface in your browser. It's not the prettiest interface, especially before you weed through the overwhelming initial upload and its endless directories, but you can still sort through all your files with ease. UMS theoretically downloads art to use as thumbnails for movies and songs, a common media server feature to make navigation easier and more visually pleasing, but in practice you'll probably have to add this metadata manually.

Along with the media you upload, UMS also offers Web content through its third-party plug-ins. Installing these plug-ins through the main panel causes them to appear in the Web interface. Plug-ins provide extra features similar to Plex's channels. However, unlike Plex's highly curated environment, the UMS plug-in market is more of a Wild West. You never know exactly what you're going to get. On one hand this means some plug-ins are lame duds or just don't work. But you're also just as likely to uncover some hidden gem like a bizarre anime gallery from Akihabara News. There are also plenty of more familiar to plug-ins to download from sources like The Onion, IMDb, and Grooveshark.

Universal Pictures (and Videos, and Music)Universal Media Server's features may sound modest, but all you really need out of a media server is the ability to stream media on your home network. Everything else is just a bonus. For the most part, UMS delivers on those fundamentals, and unlike its competitors, it's all completely free. Except for our Editors' Choice Plex, confusing and annoying setup seems endemic to home media server software, and UMS doesn't escape this issue. But if you're willing to put the effort into an open source media server, and reap the convenient rewards that come with that control, Universal Media Server is a good place to start.

Former PCMag intern Jordan Minor is a senior editor at sister site, Geek.com, and really just wants to use his fancy Northwestern University journalism degree to write about video games. He's previously written for Kotaku, The A.V. Club, Cards Against Humanity, and 148Apps. In his spare time, he also writes dumb screenplays that occasionally become dumb movies. Follow Jordan on Twitter at @JordanWMinor.
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